President cracks whip on war veterans

There will be severe repercussions for members of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association who are inciting instability in Zanu-PF, President Mugabe has warned.

The President said Zanu-PF did not take orders from affiliate organisations and was prepared to disengage with associations whose members were unwilling to abide by the ruling party rules and procedures.

Addressing scores of party supporters at Harare International Airport who had come to welcome him home yesterday after an official visit to Japan, President Mugabe said it was common custom that war veterans and their representative organisations were subservient to the party.

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He also said the party would convene a Central Committee meeting this week where the organ’s disciplinary committee would deliberate on appeals by party members suspended or fired on various allegations.

The Central Committee is the party’s highest-decision making body between congresses.

The ZNLWVA leadership has found itself at the centre of factional fights in Zanu-PF.

The association’s chair Cde Christopher Mutsvangwa was recently suspended from the party and expelled from Cabinet for misconduct and disloyalty.

Cde Mutsvangwa and members of his national executive have, in spite of the censure, continued to make public statements indicating they want a fight.

A fortnight ago Cde Mutsvangwa chaired a war veterans meeting that claimed to pass a no-confidence vote on party and State Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko.

President Mugabe is set to meet over 10 000 war veterans on Thursday where issues of indiscipline are expected to be topical.

Yesterday the President said those who continued to show disloyalty would suffer the same fate as former Vice-President Dr Joice Mujuru and her cabal.

“Tingaite ma associations edu akati kuti – charitable associations even ma war veterans associations, but they are just associations.”

He said the war veterans association was free to table its grievances through properly laid down structures. No association, he said, had the authority to dictate to Zanu-PF leaders how to run the party.

“Iye zvino vamwe varikutorimira vamwe vedu. Tochenjera kuchenjeresa. Saka tinoda kubatisisa ipapo. The land must remain a natural resource that belongs to the people over which our people have a sovereign right.